Heilig Kreuz

The parish church of Heilig Kreuz stands in the centre of Rußbach am Paß Gschütt, a village in the Salzburg district of Hallein. Built between 1859 and 1860 to plans by master builder Bergmann, it was raised to parish church status in 1903. A restoration took place in 1960 after more than a century of use. The church’s exterior is plain, with a polygonal apse and a three-storey tower on the south side. The tower’s top floor is octagonal and capped by a pointed spire. Inside, the nave has a barrel vault and an organ loft. A small sacristy was added in 1960 on the west side, and the tower hall is covered by a cross-ribbed vault. The high altar dates from the late 17th century and was moved here from the Veitskapelle of St Peter’s Abbey. Its altarpiece, a painting of the Crucifixion, was executed in 1960 by Josef Ghezzi after an earlier copy. The organ, built in 1870 by Mauracher, completes the interior. The church remains under official protection as a listed monument.